Nik Wallenda walked a tightrope over the Grand Canyon on Sunday night in a live broadcast on Discovery Channel.The 34-year-old, who walked 1,400 feet in just under 23 minutes with a 43-pound balancing pole but no tether or safety net, ...

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Nik Wallenda walked a tightrope over the Grand Canyon on Sunday night in a live broadcast on Discovery Channel.

The 34-year-old, who walked 1,400 feet in just under 23 minutes with a 43-pound balancing pole but no tether or safety net, was the first person to ever cross the canyon.

"It took every bit of me to stay focused that entire time," Wallenda said after he reached the other side. "My arms are aching like you wouldn't believe."

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Throughout the walk, Walllenda crouched down on the rope twice because of strong winds. "Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God," he was heard saying.

So why attempt the death-defying stunt? Wallenda is a seventh-generation high-wire walker and part of the "Flying Wallendas" circus family. His great-grandfather, Karl, died in 1978 during a tightrope walk in Puerto Rico.

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"This is what my family has done for 200 years, so it's part of my legacy," he said. "It was a dream come true...I knelt down and I thought of my great-grandfather and that everything I do is to honor him. It took my mind off all this movement underneath me ... and I was able to focus on him and regain composure."

Last year, Wallenda set a record by becoming the only person to walk over Niagara Falls. His next planned stunt is to walk between two New York City skyscrapers.